begining to make a lot of sense: things were certainly different around here. The staffroom lay up a short flight of stairs beyond the end the corridor; the door was open. Reclining in an easy chair, fingers interlocked behind his head, was a large, hairy, cadaverous, young man, in baggy gray flannel slacks and a well-worn hacking jacket with leather patches at the elbows and wrists A maroon shirt and yellow large-knotted tie did nothing to dispel the air of general untidiness which enveloped him. As I entered he looked up at me and remarked: Ah another lamb the slaughter- or shall we say bla sheep In appreciation of his own witticism he smiled broadly exposing some large, uneven, yellow teeth. I have always been subject to quick explosive anger, but for years have been making a determined attempt to exercise close control of my temper. So now I watched this fellow, ready, willing and, I hoped. able to take a joke about myself. "My name's Braithwaite. I'm from the Divisional Office." So you're the new teacher," he replied. "Hope you have better luck with the bastards than Hackman did. I thought you were Hackman, because some of the children said was waiting here until one of them called him "He was, for about ten seconds, then he girded up his loins and departed." He grinned. "I expect that now he is pouring out his woes to the Divisional Officer "What happens to his class now? I enquired. At this he guffawed loudly. "Without being too prophetic, I'd say you're for it While I digested this little bit of frightening information he got up and left the room